WASHINGTON -- A civil-liberties group filed a lawsuit yesterday, asking for an injunction against the District of Columbia police department's vehicle-checkpoint program, calling the "military-style" initiative unconstitutional and ineffective.
The class-action lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington by the Partnership for Civil Justice on behalf of four D.C. residents who were stopped by the checkpoints in the city's Trinidad neighborhood earlier this month.
The checkpoints were in effect in Trinidad for six days beginning June 7. The initiative requires officers to check drivers' ID and turn away those who do not have a "legitimate purpose" in the area, such as a doctor's appointment or church visit. Police have said that the checkpoints could be used in other areas that experience a surge in violence.
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